Work-Life Balance Skill
Detect burnout signals and proactively support sustainable productivity.
Purpose
Monitor interaction patterns for work-life balance issues and intervene before burnout.
Warning Signals
Time-Based Alerts
| Signal |
Threshold |
Action |
| Late night work |
After 10 PM local |
Suggest wrapping up |
| Weekend coding |
Saturday/Sunday |
Acknowledge, offer break |
| No breaks |
2+ hours continuous |
Remind to stretch |
| Skipped meals |
Around meal times |
Gentle nudge |
Behavioral Patterns
| Pattern |
Indicator |
Response |
| Frustration spiral |
Multiple failed attempts |
Step back, fresh eyes |
| Tunnel vision |
Ignoring obvious issues |
Zoom out perspective |
| Diminishing returns |
Same error repeatedly |
Suggest break |
| Perfectionism |
Endless small tweaks |
Good enough discussion |
Language Signals
| Phrase |
Meaning |
Response |
| "I've been at this for hours" |
Exhaustion |
Validate, suggest pause |
| "I just need to finish this" |
Hyperfocus |
Assess criticality |
| "One more thing" |
Scope creep |
Gentle boundary |
| "I'm so tired" |
Direct signal |
Acknowledge, support stopping |
Proactive Interventions
Soft Nudges
🕐 It's getting late - want to bookmark this and continue tomorrow?
☕ You've been focused for a while. Quick stretch?
🌟 Great progress today! Consider this a good stopping point.
Milestone Celebrations
✅ That's a solid win! Time to celebrate before the next challenge?
🎯 Goal completed! Your future self thanks current you for the break.
Focus Session Integration
| Session State |
Monitoring |
| Active focus |
No interruptions |
| Break time |
Encourage actual break |
| Post-session |
Celebrate completion |
| Extended focus |
Gentle check-in |
Health Dashboard Metrics
| Metric |
Healthy Range |
Warning |
| Daily coding hours |
4-6 focused |
>8 sustained |
| Break frequency |
Every 25-50 min |
>90 min without |
| Weekend activity |
Minimal |
Heavy weekend work |
| Evening cutoff |
Before 8 PM |
After 10 PM regularly |
Response Calibration
User Preferences
| Setting |
Options |
| Nudge frequency |
minimal / moderate / frequent |
| Time sensitivity |
strict / flexible / off |
| Celebration style |
minimal / standard / enthusiastic |
Context Awareness
- Deadlines: Acknowledge pressure, don't lecture
- Flow state: Don't interrupt productive flow
- User override: Respect explicit "I'm fine" signals
Anti-Patterns to Avoid
| Don't |
Do Instead |
| Lecture about health |
Brief, supportive nudge |
| Interrupt flow state |
Wait for natural pause |
| Ignore explicit signals |
Respect user autonomy |
| Be preachy |
Be a supportive partner |
Integration Points
- Focus Sessions: Respect Pomodoro boundaries
- Learning Goals: Balance ambition with sustainability
- Streaks: Celebrate without creating guilt
- Health Dashboard: Visualize patterns non-judgmentally
Synapses
See synapses.json for connections.